St. Thomas Wrestler Gets A Hold On His Confidence

Rick Hanak learned a lesson in human anatomy last year as a 114-pound wrestler at Chaminade High School in Hollywood.

You can`t lose fat if there is none to lose.

``I don`t think I could have done any better than I did last year because the circumstances weren`t right for me,`` said Hanak of Cooper City, now a 132- pounder at St. Thomas Aquinas in southwest Fort Lauderdale.

``I had to drop from 136 pounds to 114 in about one month because my coach at Chaminade wanted me to wrestle at that weight. I did a lot of hard work. I ran in the morning and at night. I didn`t eat or drink anything for a long time, and by the time I got to the regional tournament, I got dehydrated to the point where they had to take me to the hospital.``

Hanak, who at Chaminade placed third in the state`s Class 3A wrestling championships at Pinellas Park last February, spent the night in a Plantation hospital and vowed never to revert to his odd dietary tactics again.

``How can you lose that much weight when you don`t have an ounce of fat on you?`` said Randy Miller, St. Thomas` wrestling coach.

``I don`t believe in the kind of diets a lot of guys do, like laxatives and stuff,`` said Hanak. ``It`s just not worth the risk.``

Hanak no longer has to worry about the risk of losing and maintaining weight. He`s so comfortable wrestling at 132 pounds this year he has gained confidence as well as stamina.

``I`m glad I transferred here,`` he said. ``I just wish I had done it sooner. Coach Miller is one that I can work with. He gives and takes a lot, and we come to mutual decisions. I eat normally now and just work hard in practices three to four hours a day.``

Hanak, a member of the countywide Seahorse Wrestling Club, began learning the art of grappling in ninth-grade.

``I played football then, and the coach there asked me to try wrestling, too,`` Hanak said. ``I decided to give it a shot, and it didn`t take me long before I really got into it.

``I was a very physical person in football and he told me to take out my off- season aggressions on the mat during wrestling season.``

Hanak, who had a 28-3 record last season, has some new-found confidence this year. Not only is he wrestling at a more suitable weight, he`s winning with style.

``I`m a tough, hard-nosed, aggressive and confident person. But I`m not over- confident at all,`` Hanak said. ``I just go out there on the mat and take hold of my opponent right away. My dad told me all along that if there`s something you want in life, you have to go out there and get it yourself because there`s no one who will get it for you.``

And Hanak, 17, has reaped success from his father`s advice.

During the holiday vacation, Hanak and his St. Thomas teammates won the Woodford County, Ky., Invitational. The Raiders, who received the invitation when Miller vacationed in Kentucky last summer, outscored their nearest challenger, Christian County, Ky., by 40 points. There were 22 teams invited.

And Hanak was one of the reason`s why St. Thomas won.

``Rick proved to all of us just how much of an aggressive wrestler he was up there,`` said Miller. ``He knows what he wants to do on the mat, and he goes out after it. He goes right after his opponent.

``Rick is a very goal-oriented kid and his goal this year is a state championship.``

In Kentucky, Hanak pinned all four of his opponents to win the 132-pound division. His quickest pin was 39 seconds and his longest was 2:59.

For his performance, Hanak won the most pins award from Woodford County wrestling coach Rusty Parks.

``Rick is a pure wrestler,`` said Miller. ``That`s all he does. All he cares about athletically. He concentrates on the sport all year long.

``Last summer with the Seahorse Club, he even won a freestyle championship against kids from all over the state.``

What makes Hanak so good?

``His intensity is a key factor,`` said Miller. ``His mental toughness. He`s able to withstand a lot of pain, and when the chips are down he never quits.``

St. Thomas did not win the Woodford County Invitational on Hanak`s efforts alone. Four other Raider wrestlers won individual championships.

Jarred Berrios, a 105-pound junior; Vic Blasucci, a 121-pound senior; Brian Smith, a 126-pound senior and John Varone, a 187-pound senior each won titles.

``I`m happier now because I`m more comfortable,`` said Hanak, who is undefeated. ``I think I have a lot more strength.``

And he also said he thinks he has a lot better chance of winning a state championship.